Kishimwi is a playful and friendly young boy who is currently having a hard time walking. Kishimwi has a younger sibling, and his parents are small-scale maize and vegetable farmers who grow food for their family. His father also works as a hawker selling Maasai beads, belts and sandals in order to make extra income. Kishimwi was diagnosed with genu valgus, causing his legs to bend inward to form knock knees. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Kishimwi's parents noticed a slight bent in his leg when he was three years old, but became alarmed when the problem worsened over the past year to the point where walking became difficult. Kishimwi experiences pain when participating in daily activities, so his parents decided to seek treatment for him at a local hospital in their village. The family was advised to give Kishimwi foods containing high calcium and calcium supplements to strengthen his bones and prevent his legs from bending further. However, the effects were negligible and Kishimwi's legs became more bent. Fortunately, an older patient's parent told the family about Watsi's medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC), and the family traveled to the hospital hoping for treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Kishimwi. The procedure will take place on June 29th. Treatment will hopefully restore Kishimwi's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Kishimwi’s father hopes his son's pain will be alleviated after this care, "We have used medication and foods containing high calcium but none has helped. Please help treat my son because as you can see his legs are badly affected."

Channa is a 34-year-old construction worker who, together with his wife, has one son and two daughters. His first daughter is now is school, while the other two are still pre-school aged. He likes to take his daughter to school and play with his kids outside, but recently his condition has worsened and he has not been able to work or do these things. Since birth, Channa has had amniotic band syndrome in his foot. This is a condition that occurs during fetal development, when a section of the amniotic sac wraps around parts of the body, causing constriction. For Channa, this condition has caused a malformed foot, similar to clubfoot. He never received any medical attention for this condition and occasionally experiences pain and swelling. Recently, the pain and swelling has increased to the point that he can no longer walk or work. Channa visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where doctors will perform a contracture release procedure to allow his foot to heal. Once he has recovered, he will no longer experience pain or swelling and he will be able to walk more easily than before. The procedure is scheduled for May 14th, and now Channa needs help to fund this $454 procedure. Channa shared, "when I am better, I will return to work and work hard to support my family. I am excited to see my two youngest go to school, and I want to be able to walk them there."

Ku is a seven-year-old boy who lives with his parents and two younger sisters in a refugee camp in Northern Thailand. Ku's mother weaves shirts that she sells, and Ku's father helps weave, too. Ku is a primary school student, while one of his sisters is in nursing school, and his youngest sister is too young to go to school. On June 6th, Ku and two of his friends were playing in a tamarind tree when they all fell out of the tree. Ku injured his left arm in the fall and his father carried him to the camp hospital for an exam. The medic there told Ku's father that his elbow might be broken. After they bandaged his arm, Ku visited another hospital for an x-ray and was diagnosed with a left elbow fracture. Ku is in pain and cannot bend his arm or lift anything. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Ku will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for June 9th and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Ku will no longer be in pain and he will be able to go back to school. He will regain full mobility in his arm. Ku's father shared, "Ku is an active boy who loves school and reading a lot. He always says that he wants to become a health worker to look after his family and others when he grows up. I want him to recover and go back to school soon."